Industrial clusters to end land crisis

Patna, Sept. 21: The state government is planning to come up with industrial zones in seven districts to provide land to investors keen on setting up industries in Bihar.

Deepak Kumar Singh, the managing director of Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (Biada), yesterday said there was a huge land crunch in the state.

He added that it was important to create industrial hubs in different parts of the state so that industries could be established.

“Though the plan is in the nascent stage, Biada wants to set up industrial hubs in Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul, Purnea, Aurangabad, Muzaffarpur and Banka. Investment proposals are pouring in and many among them have been approved by the State Investment Promotion Board. At present, the land available with Biada is not enough to accommodate so many industries. There is a need to set up new zones so that investors can be provided with land for factories,” Singh told The Telegraph.

On Tuesday, the State Investment Promotion Board had given green light to 102 proposals worth Rs 16,149 crore that included setting up of power plants, hotels, cement plants and others.

Since 2006, the State Investment Promotion Board has approved more than 838 investment proposals. Of these, work on 150 projects has started.

“At present, Biada has provided land to these industries in Bihta on the outskirts of the capital. In Kahalgaon, Bhagalpur, some problems have cropped up. The landowners are not willing to provide land but negotiations are on. However, more areas in the districts would get industrial zones and investors would not find it difficult to get land,” the official added.

Earlier, principal secretary of the industries department Afzal Amanullah had said Biada was given the responsibility of allocating land for small industries.

“In case of big projects like the tie-up with the Taj Group towards setting up of a five-star hotel, the company has to search for land on its own and the state government will facilitate the same,” the senior bureaucrat had said.

Singh, the Biada official added that districts like Aurangabad are turning into industrial hubs because many proposals like setting up three-star hotels and two solar-powered projects were approved by the State Investment Promotion Board.

He, however, said the state government has to approve a project first.

“Once any land is transferred to Biada, which has been chosen to bring up an industry, the immediate process is to make the land user-friendly. Biada develops the land by providing electricity, roads and infrastructure. Mostly, a less fertile land is in demand. Land is less fertile in many areas of Banka district. Such areas can be developed into industrial zones,” Singh said.